In the course of machining operations, scrap materials, known as wet chips, are generated. The wet chips usually include relatively small wet chips, referred to as granular wet chips, stringy pieces of wet chips as well as bales of wet chip material. Additionally, undesired solids such as bolts, nuts, etc. sometimes are found in the bales or batches of wet chip material. Wet chip materials are conveyed from one or more machine stations to a centrifugal separator station where the wet chip material is centrifugally separated into dry chips and fluid.
Prior to entering a centrifugal separator apparatus, wet chips pass through a parts separator apparatus generally having an air lock assembly as well a material drop-out opening. The wet chip material enters the parts separator, travels past the air lock assembly located in an inlet chute or section, flows over the drop-out opening, and then, after passing through an outlet chute or section, enters into the centrifugal separator. Heavy unwanted solid objects, such as bolts and nuts, drop out of the system at the location of the parts separator drop-out opening. The air lock apparatus, which is generally a paddle wheel assembly, comprises a plurality of rotatable paddles, such as illustrated in Nemedi U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,487. The air lock assembly serves to assist in maintaining a desired negative air pressure within the parts separator during the operation of the centrifugal separator. The negative air pressure is generated upon actuation of the centrifugal separator to which the parts separator normally is connected. The negative air pressure in the parts separator normally allows for wet chip material to be pulled from the air lock assembly and across the parts separator drop-out opening following which the wet chip material enters the centrifugal separator apparatus.
In some instances, wet chip material entering a parts separator originates from a plurality of machine stations. In this situation, the size of the wet chips generated at one station sometimes varies substantially from wet chips generated at another work station. As a result, wet chip material of different sizes enters the parts separator. Unfortunately, it has been found that, in some instances, larger size wet chips from one machine station fail to pass over the parts separator drop-out opening. Instead, some larger size wet chips drop out of the parts separator drop-out opening, where they have to be collected and reintroduced into the wet chip separation system. It is thus desired to limit this problem.
Further, it has been found that, on occasion, some larger undesired solids, e.g., bolts or nuts travel at such a relatively high velocity within the parts separator apparatus that they cause damage to the air lock assembly or the parts separator frame. It is also desired to limit this problem.
Further, it is desired to limit the need for a conventional paddle-wheel-type air lock assembly that often is disposed within a parts separator apparatus.